Truck conveyer



Apr. 3, 1928. 1,450,371. L. E. HURST ET AL.

TRUCK CONVEYER.

LEONARD E. BURST AND JAMES F. MILLER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRUCK co'NvEyYER.

Application led December 30, 1922. Serial No. 609,870.

To all lwhom t may concern: i

Be it known that we, LEONARD E. Huns'r and JAMES F. MILLER, citizens ofthe United' States, and residents of Detroit, Wayne County, Michiganhave invented a new and Improved Truck (lonveyer, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to means for pushing trucks along tracks andparticularly for causing Athe trucks which carry vehicle bodles andother structures to pass into and through dry kilns, baking ovens andother treatlng chambers, and its object is to provide a device of thischaracterwhich will extend a `minimum distance above and below the floorsurface, which will operate regularly and automatically, and which canbe constructed at low cost.

This invention consists of a gulding structure mounted between a pair ofrails constituting the tracks for trucks, of an actuator slidable insaid guides and a series of dogs mounted thereon adapted to engage crossbars or bolsters or other projections on the trucks, and means forcausing` the actuator to slide back and forth parallel to said rails,the spaces between adjacent dogs being not more than the distancethrough which the actuator moves back and forth and the distance betweenthe enddogs being greater than the distance between the cross bars of twadjacent and engaging trucks which are being moved along the track.

This invention also consists. in the'details of construction illustratedin the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed ,out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan of ,one unit and the motor of thisimproved truck conveying device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof.Figs. 3 and 4 are together a side elevationsthereof. Fig. 5 is asectionon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation'of apushing dog. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a worm wheel which actuates apusher.

Similar reference` letters refer tov like parts throughout the severalviews.

In many industries pieces of Awork which have been painted, varnished orenameled, or which are to be exposed to the action of dry or moist air,or air charged with chemicals, or other articles which are to belespecially treated, are loaded on trucks which travel on tracks whichextend through long rooms or chambers filled with hot or chargedatmosphere, and trucks carrying such work are slowly pushed along saidtracks, into one end ofthe chambers and out of the other, pressure beingapplied to the rear truck which pushes all the others before it. 1

Several factors are of great importance. The trucks must usually be lowso that the work need not be lifted more than a minimum height, whichlimits the road clearanc, and the actuating mechanism must eX- ten levelso as not to cut into the concrete or tile slabs, which now usuallyconstitute factory floors, more than a minimum amount. -These factorshave been taken care of in the constructlon shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

The motor and main driving mechanism are shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 andare preferably located at one side of the Work room or at some placewhere they will be out of the way. While practically any desired meansmay be employed to actuate the pushers, we prefer a motor -1 having ashaft 2 connecting to a change-speed mechanism 3 whose shaft 4 carries abevel gear 5 mesha minimum distance below the floor ing the bevel gear 6at the upper end of the shaft 7 The motor and also supports the bearings9 for the shaft 7. A bevel gear l0 on the lower end of this shaft mesheswith the gear 11 on the line shaft 1.2.

The dotted lines 14 in Fig. 1 indicate the walls of a treating chamberand the rails 15 extend from the place where the work is prepared,through the chamber. The work is placed on trucks 16 and pushed into thechamber. Any desired number of pairs of tracks may be employed,depending upon the size of the plant and each pair of tracks is providedwith its own pushing mechanism. The tracks are preferably laid direotlyon the floor 18 and thel line shaft 12 is preferably laid in a groove inthe floor. In modern plants the floor 18 is usually of wood laidv on aslab 19 of concrete and it will usually be found desirable to notch theslab for thebevel gear ll, but this notch need not be of any greatdepth. The line shaft extends below the rails and vhas a coupling 20 atone end which connects to the coupling 22 at one end of the worm 23. Thecoupling 24 at the opposite end 'of this worm change-speed mech- -amsmare shown mounted on a frame 8 which connects to a coupling 25 at oneend of a ,second line shaft 26 which may drive a second conveyer, and soon.

The actuator comprises a base plate 28 having a vertical stub shaft 29for the worm wheel 30, and two bearings 3l for the worm 23. Attached tothe worm wheel is an arm 33 which carries a pin 34 that extends throughan eye in one end of the connecting rod 35.

The pusher consists ofa pair of angle bars 36 carrying pins 37 on whichthe dogs 38 are mounted. These dogs are normally held in the positionshown in Fig. 6 by the counterweights 39, but which permit the dogs toswing down topass an obstruction. At any number ot points these anglebars are attached to plates 40 which are slidable in the guides 42mounted on brackets 43 resting on the Hoor. A yoke 44 connects to'adjacent ends of these angle bars and carries a pin 45 which extendthrough an eye at the other end of the connectin rod 35. If desired, ashield 46 may be use to cover the actuating mechanism.

The trucks are usually low on the floor and those shown in the drawingshave side sills 50 supporting the horses 5l and also having cross piecesor holsters 52 and53, the latter supporting the stirrups 54 for thewheels 55. The holsters 53 are sufficiently low 'to be engaged by thedogs 38, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the distance between the holsters53 of each truck and the distance between adjacent bolsters of two adjacenttrucks is always less wthan the distance between the end dogs onthe angle bars 36. The distance between dogs is equal to or less thanbut not more than the distances the dogs travel, that is, the stroke ofthe pusher. Any other desired trucks may be used.

When a truck is loaded, the workmen open the doors of the chamber andpush in the truck. rThe dog 38 engagesa bolster 53 on' the truck andpushes the truck up against the next truck in advance and thus pushesalong all the trucks on the track. The speed ofthe line shaft willdepend upon the length of the chamber and the time the work is to remaintherein. When the foremost truck reaches the exit door it is pulled outand the door closed. It is evident that by properly proportioning theworm gear and the .parts connected thereto, any ,desired speed may beobtained.

The details ot' construction, the proportions and sizes of the variousparts, and the number and arrangement of these truck conthe tracks, apair of bars slidably mounted in the guides, dogs mounted on the barsand adapted to engage projections on the trucks, and means to move thebars back and forth comprising a worm wheel, a vertical shaft on whichsaid worm wheel is mounted, means to rotate the worm wheel, a crank pinmounted on the worm wheel and a connecting rod extending from the crankpin to said bars.

3. In a conveyer for trucks, a pair of tracks for the truck wheels,guides between the tracks, a pair of bars slidably mounted in theguides, dogs mounted on the bars and adapted to engage the projectionson the trucks, and means to move the bars back and forth, the distancesbetween adjacent dogs being not more than the distances said dogs moveback and forth.

4. In a conveyer for trucks, a pair of tracks for the truck wheels,guides between the tracks, a pair of bars slidably 'mounted in theguides, dogs mounted on the bars and adapted to engage projections onthe trucks. and means to move the bars back and forth` the distancesbetween adjacent dogs beingnot more than the distances said dogs moreback and forth and the distance between the` end dogs on said bars beinggreater than the distance between the projections on adjacent trucks tobe engaged by said dogs.

5. In combination withl a floor, railslaid thereon, a line shaft lyingin a groove in said ioor, a worm connected thereto, a bed supporting theworm, a vertical shaft mounted on the bed, a worm wheel mounted on theVertical shaft in mesh with the worm, means to rotate the line shaft andworm, a pusher and guides therefor between the rails, said pusherembodying a series of pivoted'dogs adapted to swing in a vertical plane,a crank pin on the worm wheel, and a connecting rod extending therefromto the pusher.

LEONARD E. I-IURST. JAMES F. MILLER.

